About

3 years, yes, 3 years. That's how long it took for my farmer, now friend, to speak to me - you sure have to earn these farmers respect and they certainly don't suffer fools! 

At the end of 2011 our little but growing family purchased ten acres of land in regional Victoria with hopes and dreams of living a 'simple life' — leaving behind the hustle and bustle of Melbourne and giving ourselves some space to breath and raise our kids in fresh country air with plenty of room to run around and just be, well ahh... kids.

In March 2012, St Patrick's Day to be exact, we made our move, we couldn't wait to move into our country home, with its 'wide open spaces', blue skies and sunshine. The minute our moving truck left, the temperature dropped to freezing, the skies opened up and it rained, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week till December — okay slight exaggeration, but that's what it felt like.

With our grand vision for our property bright in our minds, we quickly found out why our 'new' country home was on the market so cheap — the rose-coloured glasses fell off and smashed to pieces.

It was a stinking hot day when my farmer, who walks past my gate twice a day, finally spoke to me. I insisted he stop in for a drink and said, “how dedicated he was to be walking everyday no matter the weather.”

That's when he said to me:

"I am off the farm now, so what else can I do with my time?"

That was the ice breaker. Where do I start? Where do I go for help? I don't know anyone, I don't have any neighbours to ask - WHAT DO I DO? I mean really — WHAT DO I DO? This farmer that walks past my gate every day, I'd ask him those questions, but he won't even talk to me!

.........LIGHT BULB! Quite literally, I heard it go off in my head.

Insert blood, tears, sweat, tears and more tears, lots of tears, mainly mine, lot's of hard yakka, then fast forward 3 years and light bulb... with that one seemingly innocent passing comment made, "This Farm Needs A Farmer" was born.

In that moment I realised that my farmer wasn't the only one who had moved into town, off the land and found that a house block isn't going to keep them busy like their farm used to. They may not be able to keep up with the 'muscle' involved in running a farm, but they certainly still have the knowledge to run one.

Join us at This Farm Needs A Farmer and give Farmers an opportunity to connect with Tree Changers. Their knowledge is invaluable and can be imparted via the Shadow Farming initiative.

This project was born with the truest intent to build a stronger and more cohesive community - to place value on people that may not see the value in what they can offer and what they know. It means so much to me as my farmer has become a part of our little family - he lights up whenever I ask him for help and although he is reluctant to accept, he is the inspiration for this project, he is quietly chuffed that in his twilight years someone has recognised he still has so much value to offer this world.

I am completely humbled and thankful that you have taken the time to read about This Farm Needs A Farmer, a project I truly believe has the possibility to bring hope, opportunity and meaning back into the lives of those who may have lost it along the way.